Something's Up - AC AU
by AngelusKitty-writes
Summary: Four Best Friends, Paul Harkensen, Angelus Smaug, Gabrielle Harlan, and Jose Moran, are low-ranked Assassins, everything changes one day when Angelus is sent off to Jerusalem unexpectedly and Jose senses something is amiss. What will they discover once they arrive? I only own the character Angelus Smaug. Actual names and likeliness of fictional characters' are purely coincidental
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up!" The brunette called to her two friends running behind her "If you don't start running faster, you'll miss out!" the brunette girl stood with her back to the building's edge, ready to leap at any given moment. A girl with ringlet-ted raven hair and a Peruvian boy stood in front of her catching their breath after having to chase her up a ten story building at full speed just to keep up. "Jeez Angelus.. who have YOU been training with and not telling us about?" the raven-haired girl inquired. "Oh no one~ Now c'mon let's go!" Angelus shouted as she did a swan-dive off of the building into a hay pile below. The raven-haired girl jumped off followed by the boy after her.

Once on foot, Angelus took off in a full sprint again calling out to her comrades "Gab! Jose! I'd like to get there before sunset!" to which Gab the raven-haired girl grumbled in annoyance and chased after her with Jose in-tow.

The three walked into the designated area and waited for the final member of their quartet to arrive. Gab bounced on her heels in excitement and Jose looked around eagerly, Angelus just leaned against a wall acting unimpressed. "There he is!" Jose shouted and the three of them all ran over to congratulate their friend. "Congrats on finally getting out of the novice ranks buddy!" Jose hollered while clapping a hand down on the honey-brown haired man's shoulder. "Now you can actually hang out with us without getting into shit with Malik and Altair." Angelus tittered out obviously remembering all the times the young man had gotten yelled at.

"Thanks guys, it's great to be part of the real ranks." The honey-haired man smiled. "So what are you planning on doing now, Paul?" Gab asked the honey-haired man, who will now be referred to as Paul. "Oh I dunno, get wasted?" Paul chuckled at himself "LET'S DO THIS" Angelus shouted excitability at the mention of alcohol to which her three friends erupted in a chorus of chuckles.

"Here you go folks, four Kamikaze's. Gimme a ring if you need anything else" the waitress said with a smile while setting the drinks down and leaving right after. "I purpose a toast. To Paul! The best new assassin in our division!" the four toasted while saying 'To Paul' in unison and drinking their cocktails.

After a few rounds of various shots and cocktails, the quartet decided that maybe it was time to stop. Angelus was a little more than tipsy and Jose was way past drunk. The two of them were stumbling idiots singing obnoxiously loud down the streets as Gab and Paul were left to escort them back to their designated rooms.

"Everyone shut up and get out of my way." was the first thing to grace Angelus' lips when she got out of bed that morning. Gab was laughing her ass off the whole day at Angelus' bitchiness and Jose's sleepiness. Paul just shook his head at them especially when Angelus said something beyond rude to Malik, and was escorted away by him as a result and hasn't been seen for the past 2 hours.

"What do you think happened with Angelus and Malik?" Gab asked concerned for her friend. "My money's only that he's forcing her into being his slave for the rest of the day" retorted Jose lazily. "Well whatever happened" began Paul "It will have to wait for later. I've got my first job and can't be bothered with this right now." with that, Paul scurried off to do whatever he was assigned to do.

Gab and Jose looked at each other and both smiled deviously. "You're thinking what I'm thinking?" inquired Gab "awww yeah" answed Jose "Spying" they both said and scampered off to spy on both Angelus and Paul.

"First of all," began the one-armed man "I must inquire if you can repeat what you said to me earlier." The short, blue-eyed girl looked up at the older assassin, seemingly unaffected by his intimidation tactics. "What? 'shut your face you single append-aged ninny'?" she spat in a casual, somewhat mocking tone. Malik sneered at her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Listen closely when I tell you this: it is not my fault I lost my arm. I lost it for my brother. It is a constant reminder of the pain I experienced because of that fools' arrogance." He spoke in a growl-like whisper, barring his teeth and giving her a look that could wilt flowers. She nodded lightly at him and he tore his hand from her chin roughly, making her head jerk a bit. "I understand sir. While I cannot begin to understand the torment you have gone through, I can comprehend when I am in the wrong. I apologize for the things I uttered, though I doubt you will show me forgiveness." the younger one looked down at her feet, feeling ashamed. She heard a low chuckle and glanced up to see the older assassin smirking at her; confused, she furrowed her brow at him. "I never thought I'd live to see the day one as proud as yourself step down and admit to something willingly. It's rather amusing." He took a few steps towards her, which she instinctively backwards mirrored until her lower back was flush against the railing of the balcony they stood on. He placed his hand on the railing beside her hip and leaned in next to her ear. "Remember your place, poppet. Next time I might not be so lenient." he whispered darkly before letting his teeth graze her ear, smirking down at her flushed expression, and leaving as if nothing had happened; her knees caved in and she sunk to the ground, still comprehending what had just occurred.

"Ew." was the first thing that came out of Jose's mouth. "Oh shut up already that was hot and you know it." Gabrielle retorted while delivering a smack to his forearm. They had watched that whole scene unfold from two balcony's above and one to the left. Totally undetectable, to their knowledge at least. "Oh, pardon me. I meant, EW." Jose stuck out his tongue at Gabrielle "You don't know what romance is." Gab spat back at him, cupping her face with both of her hands, dreamy-eyed. "That wasn't romance. That was a higher-ranked assassin asserting his dominance over a foul-mouthed novice!" Gabrielle looked at him, perplexed. "'Novice'? Jose, Angelus outranks both of us as well as Paul. She's not too far below Mister Al-Sayf." Jose shook his head "Never mind that! The point is that this isn't romance, no matter how you look at it." Gabrielle giggled "If that's what you wanna believe~" she sighs "If only Altair would give me the time of day..." Jose pretends to dry heave and Gabrielle sighs again. "Anyhow, let's go spy on Paul!"

"OH MY GODS!" a woman screamed from the streets at the corpse lying there. "yeah, yeah, put a sock in it would ya?" the honey-haired assassin muttered to himself while fleeing the scene, not wanting to get chased again and have to kill more than necessary. He had been sent out today to gather information and report back immediately. _'Just like I did as a novice. Oh, but this is more risky! Yeah right they aren't gonna let me do anything cool right away.._' He thought to himself, whilst hopping from one building to the next. Nothing fun was going to happen so long as he just stayed in the basic assassin ranks. "Hi there!" I high pitched voice called from behind Paul; to which he shouted a 'gaah!' and tripped then fell on his ass. He looked up to see his ringlet-ted haired fried Gabrielle standing in front of him, hands behind her back. "Oh, Gab what the hell!?" he said quickly in an annoyed tone. She grinned "I got bored, and Jose's here too!" she said that as Jose's head peaked up over the side of the roof they were standing on and he uttered a 'Hel-lo~'. The vexatious look on Paul's face sent a shiver down his friends' spines. "Where's the fourth member of our idiotic quartet?" Gabrielle smiled at him as he stood and brushed himself off "ooh she's just spending some quality time with someone~" she snickered to which Jose rolled his eyes as he hoisted himself onto the roof.

"Gab's been going on and on ever since Mal told Ang off. Sayin' they shoulda made out or somethin'." Jose use of excessive nicknaming confused Paul for a moment. "So, did she tell him yet or not?" "Jose shook his head "Nah, I reckon she'll never do it. Besides, isn't he married?" The three looked between themselves and shrugged in unison. "I'm pretty sure he isn't I don't see a ring." Gabrielle chimed in "Well, he doesn't have a ring finger to speak of." Paul tittered and the other two giggled slightly, the joke had started to lose it's charm. They both decided to join Paul on his mission until he was done, despite his objections. They finished up and returned to the base.

They came back to see the base basically empty and Angelus coming down the steps carrying a bag along with her. "Oh hey you're just in time to see me off." She smiled at them "See you off? You're going on a mission this late in the evening?" Paul inquired and Angelus shook her head "Nah. I'm going to Jerusalem for a bit. Boss sent me on urgent business and I probably won't be back for a month at least." her three friends looked at her wide eyed "but isn't it really dangerous there?" Jose added to the interrogation "Most likely. I'll have Malik to keep me company since he's station in the Bureau in Jerusalem. He was told Altair was to join him but I took his place." She smiled "I have no idea what might happen there. In event of my death..." she looks at her comrades seriously "...Jose gets any of my leftover belongings." Jose grinned "That's my best friend for ya!" the quartet laughed as Angelus saluted them, and walked past them. About to start her descent down them mountain. They waved as she left and as soon as she was out of sight, Jose spoke up "I'm betting on copulation." Gabrielle and Paul looked at him as a pause hung in the air for a moment, before the three erupted in laughter.

The sound of a single horse trotting filled the night air as the lone horse walked the path slowly, its hooded rider looking around the area to make certain everything was clear. Riding at night was dangerous enough but especially risky when you are alone. She still had a ways to go before she reached Jerusalem, sighing, her foggy breath filled the air around her mouth for a moment before vanishing. She was nervous, but she told herself this was safer than risking being caught by fully awake bandits. There would be at most a single bandit awake at each camp sight who would be easy to outrun in case of emergency. Every once in a while there was a rustle in the bushes or a splash in the ocean off the cliff she rode on which she could only hope were small creatures that could do her no harm. She still was cautious, which is out of character for the boastful Angelus. She swallowed and urged her horse to quicken his pace, not wanting to risk anything. She could only pray that the inky shadows she sometimes spotted in her peripherals were simply rats and not anything potentially deadly.

Paul was awoken roughly the next morning by Jose pushing him out of bed him and Gabrielle hollering for him to get up. He groaned in a groggy daze as Jose forced him to get up and get changed while Gabrielle waited outside the room. Paul's two friends dragged the groggy individual downstairs and informed him about what was going on, even though he barely understood a word they were saying in his daze. The next thing he knew he was on a horse with Gabrielle and Jose rode solo "Hey Paul, did you hear a word we said?" Paul looked up with a grouchy expression "Something about a mission, right?" the two nodded "Yeah, we're being sent to Damascus for a while until this situation calms down." Gabrielle smiles "And when we're done there we can visit Angelus! I'm sure with Malik yelling at her all the time she'd welcome the company." Paul nods and yawns, resting his head on Gabrielle's back and closing his eyes, allowing sleep to take him once again. His two friends just laughed and continued riding, not wanting to bother him anymore than they already had.

"So, when do you think they'll notice all three of us are gone?" Gabrielle said quietly "Once everyone else wakes up and the boss-man realizes the others three of the four idiots are missing." Jose said, gazing into the distance. "Why did you want to do this? You know how much trouble we'll get in..." Gabrielle trailed off "I can't shake the feeling that something is amiss." They approached a fork in the road "Well, this is where we separate. Take good care of Paul while I'm gone, alright?" Jose smiled reassuringly "And you make sure Angelus doesn't get killed... I know she's strong but-" "I know, I'm worried about her too." Jose and Gabrielle smiled at each other, before heading opposite directions; One heading to Jerusalem, the other to Damascus.

_'Hold on Ang, I won't let them go through with this.'_ Jose thought as he sped up.


	2. Chapter 2

Angelus smiled to herself as she quietly lowered herself into the secluded area that was marked by the symbol of the brotherhood not too far from the rooftop entrance; she was attempting to be as quiet as she was physically able so as not to alert the older assassin who was waiting inside. Peaking around the doorway, she could see the man with his nose buried into a book and his back to the counter which would make her silent advance towards him easy. She propped her head on her hands and rested her elbows on the counter, then cleared her throat to grab his attention. "I was aware of your presence the moment you stepped onto the roof." chimed the older male with his back to Angelus. She pouted to herself and stood up straight as Malik turned to face her "but what i wasn't aware of is that _you_ were in Jerusalem, poppet." she shrugged "The boss said Altair was to report to Damascus so in his stead I came here. I pray you are not too disappointed with the arrangements." a smile pulled at the corners of Malik's mouth "I will advise you to refrain from referring to Al Mualim in such a casual manner; remember he is the Superior to us both. but I digress, it is a welcomed change seeing as I'd rather be cornered by wild dogs than have to put up with the novice's arrogance for days. Though you're not much better..." his eyes twitched into a glare for a moment and she sighed "I apologized didn't I? What more can I do to earn your forgiveness!?" her voice had started to raise as well as her irritated mood.

Malik closed his book and slammed it onto the counter roughly, now staring her out with his signature intense gaze. "Do you have rocks in your skull!? I have already made myself clear. You have already stated that you do not expect forgiveness, which I have not given yet. Am I going mad or did we not discuss this?" she nods "Then get out of my face before I lose all composure." He glared at her and she backed away, frowning at him before leaving. She climbed out of the Bureau and begun her journey on the rooftops to gather the necessary information she needed to accomplish the task that had been assigned to her; she slowed into a jog which transitioned to walking pace and huffed to herself. _'I don't get it; all he ever does is yell at me. Am I really such a nuisance that he can't talk to me like a living creature?'_ She looked at her palms and sighed. _'I suppose I just need to face the facts: Malik is never going to see me as an equal. Let alone a-'_ her thoughts were cut off by the shriek of a woman being attacked by the Templar knights. She smirked to herself and whispered "Guess that's my cue." before leaping off the building she stood upon, blade in-hand.

"Wake up already!" was the only thing Paul heard before he was violently thrown onto the ground, letting out a wail as his head made contact with the dirt before the rest of him. Following his fall, he heard a gasp. "Oh sorry I didn't mean to push you off so roughly" came the soft voice of Gabrielle as she stooped down to help him stand. "You couldn't of just, i don't know, woken me up WITHOUT dropping me off the horse?" Paul barked in annoyance. Gabrielle chortled and stood up with Paul "I said I was sorry jeez... besides I've been trying to wake you up gently for the past mile and a half but you just wouldn't budge. I was trying to tell you that we had to get off the horse before entering the city since they'll be less suspicious of us if we're on foot." Paul looked around, just now noticing the other people walking past the them both and their horse nowhere to be seen; Gabrielle gestured towards the gate as they walked in, camouflaged by a group of similarly dressed men.

Once inside the city, the pair took to the rooftops to avoid any and all possible threats. "Hey, where's Jose?" inquired Paul "Oh, uhh, he rode on ahead of us a while ago to make sure the path was clear. We should meet up with him soon enough." Paul raised an eyebrow at her "Jose would never do a thing like that, he's scared of his own shadow!" Gabrielle nods at her friend "Exactly! He wanted to be extra safe!" She grabbed onto Paul's wrists and began dragging him "Let's go look for Jose!" she chimed, trying to distract Paul.

-

_'Please be alright... Please!'_ Thought the Peruvian boy as he sprinted across the rooftops searching for his comrade. He looked around frantically and only stopped when he heard a large commotion coming from the streets and the sounds of swords clashing against one-another. He ran in the direction the noise was coming from but by the time he arrived it had gotten quieter and he saw a lone assassin speaking to a man who looked at hir((A/N: 'hir' is a gender-neutral pronoun. Used it since Jose isn't sure who the assassin is yet)) with gratitude-filled eyes as he spoke something inaudible to Jose. The assassin who was being spoken to nodded at the man before fleeing the scene, Jose followed hir quietly and watched as they climbed on top of a building near to him. The assassin turned to look at Jose and did a double-take before pointing a finger at him, mouth agape. "J-Jose?" the assassin called in the familiar, feminine voice of Angelus and Jose stepped closer to her, now only a few feet away. "Who's asking?" he inquired in a playful tone. "I'm kidding of course, I know it's you Ang." He smiled "What the hell are you doing here!? You're supposed to be back at the base!" she said rather loudly "I'll explain later. Right now we need to get you to the Bureau and patch you up." he gestured towards Angelus's arm, which was bleeding from a wound in it's upper area. "I don't think it's that bad that we have to get it fixed immediately. I can still move it just fine." she said whist flailing it a bit and Jose rolled his eyes before grabbing the wrist of her uninjured arm and dragging her away.

~at the Bureau~

"Oh for the love of- what did you DO?" Malik said while holding his forehead in his palm. Angelus looked away from him rather childishly "I was rescuing some townsfolk from the Templar and one of them decided to slice me." she said bluntly "Though I don't see the point in getting it patched up I'm not in any pain." Malik squinted his eyes at her "Do not mention arm pain in my presence. Hurry up and take your robe off so we can be done here and put this carelessness past us." he said while placing a small box filled with medical supplies on the workspace. Jose made Angelus sit on the counter after taking her outer robes off, leaving her with her arms exposed. Malik pressed a antiseptic drenched cloth into her wound and she flinched "Are you not a grown woman? Quit acting like a child." Malik spat at her as her eyes grew a bit and Jose chimed in "I swear to the powers that be if I wasn't around you'd have died of an infection by now." He said with his arms akimbo.  
>"You need to start being more careful, do you hear?" Jose looked at her seriously. "You're acting as if I was putting my life in danger, 'tis a flesh wound!" Angelus retorted and Malik tightened the bandage around her forearm. "He has a point, Smaug; you have value to the brotherhood and it would be a shame to lose one such as yourself" Malik voiced and looked at her when she turned her head to face him, looking at him with a baffled expression. "I never thought I'd hear you say anything like that. I had begun to think you hated me." Malik shook his head "I do not hate you but concurrently I do not particularly favor you. I simply know your importance to the brotherhood and know that Al Mualim has seen great potential in you since your first day here. You're wound is mended so you may be on your way." he said bluntly while putting the medical supplies away.<p>

Angelus stood and quickly put her robe back on and looked up at Jose who gestured towards the door. They started walking but right as they rounded the corner Angelus glanced back to look at Malik, only to meet his eyes as he was staring directly at her; he quickly averted his eyes and picked up a feather from the table but looked at it oddly, as if he was just looking for a means of distracting himself. She climbed out of the Bureau and stared at nothing in particular, lost in thought until she was jostled out of in by Jose patting her on the head, she furrowed her brow at him "You are as moronic as you are arrogant, Angelus Smaug." Jose said just above a whisper, using her full name for the first time in a long time. She batted his hand away and stepped back a little "What's with the formalities? That's not like you at all.." she said as they both approached the roofs' edge and jumped down onto an awning, then to the ground. "Just... it's nothing. We should get going and finish up whatever you were working on." he said and smiled at her as two townswoman passed them, whispering to each other **"Do you suppose he is from a foreign place?"** said the first woman **"Aye, it sounded rather barbarous for him to speak with a lady so modestly."** the second woman whispered.

-

"Tell me again WHY you two are here?" scoffed a rather irritated Altair. "Al Mualim sent us on top-secret business." retorted Gabrielle, a little too quickly for comfort. Altair raised his eyebrows and threw his hands up to shoulder level "Whatsoever he has sent you here to do, see to it that it does not interfere with what I am doing and we will be able to coexist here peacefully. Do I make myself clear?" Gabrielle and Paul nod and respond with **'Yes Sir!'** in sync and Altair nods at them both individually before leaving without a trace. Gabrielle sighs dreamily with her eyes half-lidded "Isn't he handsome?" she hums and Paul shakes his head "You have serious problems if something like that gets you all excited." "I am _not_ excited! I'm just admiring a manly-man." she grins cheekily and Paul waves at her while walking away "Come find me when you've come to your senses!" She scoffs and followers after him, which soon leads into a playful chase when he runs from her.

-Elsewhere-

Two shadowy figures stood facing each other in a room lit by four candles, all of which were spaced three feet apart on a long rectangular table. "Did you see them?" spoke the elder one "Yes. They are doing well." came the younger "Then we will act soon. Prepare yourself. You ride at dawn." the elder spoke and the younger one flinched "This soon? But the process isn't nearly complete!" The elder scoffed "You truly believe that I care about such trivial things, boy!? I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN. You ride at dawn." The elder shouted sternly and the younger one nodded stiffly. "As you wish." he said before leaving, the elder licked his thumb and fore-finger before pinching a single one of the four candles' flames, extinguishing it.

-

"Not yet!" shouted Paul as he sat up with a start in a cold sweat. Gabrielle sat up abruptly "Paul what the hell!? It's the middle of the night!" she whispered as Paul held his head in his right hand "I-I'm sorry... I had a rather troubling nightmare." he stuttered out and Gabrielle rested a hand on his shoulder "Hey, it's alright. I'm here for you so you aren't going to get hurt, alright?" she cooed warmly and he shook his head at looked at her with wide eyes "That's what I'm afraid of." he said bluntly "Paul. It was a dream. Nothing more than that. Go back to sleep before we wake Altair up. This Bureau isn't exactly sound-proof and he's only a few feet away..." they both looked over to see Altair still asleep and Paul sighed before laying back down and closing his eyes.

_'I can only pray that you're right Gabrielle. For the quartet's sake.'_ Paul thought as he drifted to sleep. Gabrielle stood and climbed out of the Bureau quietly, she gazed up at the night sky as a pigeon carrying a letter landed next to her. She stooped down and took the letter from it, reading it quickly, she gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. She scribbled something on the back of the letter; the writing was hap-haphazardly done but still legible. She inserted it into the pigeon's letter carrier and it flew away towards the North, she watched it and whispered to herself _'Maybe you were right.'_ before climbing back down into the Bureau and going back to sleep; though she doubted she'd be able.

-

"What are you doing up this late?" came from Angelus as she lent against the door frame nonchalantly. Malik jumped slightly but soon regained his composure. "Ah well I was- Wait, didn't anyone ever tell you it is rude to enter a room without stating your presence? Or knocking for that matter?" Angelus chuckled "There was no door to knock on and I had supposed you would already be aware of my presence." she spoke while approaching him "My apologies for all of my rude behavior as of late. Will you answer please the question?" Malik rubbed his temples "I am simply trying to deicer this letter Altair sent me. The fools' handwriting is that of a child's!" Angelus smiled and leaned on the counter while lifting her leg onto it "What in gods' name are you doing Sma-" Malik was cut off by Angelus leaping over the peninsula and bumping arms with the older male as she read over his shoulder. "You were not lying when you described his handwriting." she stated while she pulled her hood down, her dark locks falling out all to one side messily. "He's scribbled out so many words it makes it almost unreadable." she ran her finger across the page while trying to make out the words.

Malik switched his glance from peering down at the letter to looking up at the woman standing next to him, he followed her finger down the page with every new line she dragged it across. "I... My apologies Sir but even I can not make sense of this." she looked up at him apologetically, only to meet his gaze teetering a measly few inches from hers. "It is quite alright I'll be able to make sense of it eventually." he glanced down for a moment "You do know I have a name, correct?" he furrowed his brow at her "Yes. Though I must point out that is an odd question." she tilted her head to one side ever so slightly "Then why don't you refer to me by that name? You do not need to refer to me with such formal terms. I'm not of royal decent or anything like that." he smiled for a fraction of a second "Well, you are my superior so I see it as only fitting I refer to you in a proper manner. And I do not believe we are quite on the terms where two co-workers would refer to each other as anything like comrades. Why do you ask?" she said bluntly and he shrugged "It was just a thought. Nothing more." Malik said and paused for a moment before clearing his throat and straightening his back.

She jumped over the counter once again and started to head for the doorway "Angelus," interrupted Malik and she turned to face him "your robe has a stain from your wound. It would probably be in you best interest to get it cleaned before it becomes permanent." He said while blowing out one of the many candles that illuminated the room. She smiled at him and nodded before exiting the room and pressing her back against the wall outside of the room, exhaling and pushing her hair out of her face. _'was that an actual smile, or am I going mad?'_ she thought to herself.  
>His jaw tightened as he watched her from outside the Bureau, clutching his hands into fists. <em>'If only she knew' <em>Jose thought, before leaping inside acting like his usual, cheerful self.

_to be continued..._


	3. ANNOUNCEMENT! (please read)

I'm looking for someone or 2 people with OCs who would like to have them inserted into the story.

They don't even have to be OCs for the Assassin's Creed fandom.  
>They can be from any fanbase so long as you do not mind them being converted into the AC universe<br>You will have total ownership of your character(s), I just need a couple of OCs for two roles who haven't been filled yet.  
>In the event that I am unable to find two OCs to use I will simply make them background characters with no real story or anything like that.<p>

This is a great chance to get your OC out there if you're having trouble getting noticed!  
>I cannot promise you will get a lot of attention, or any for that matter. But it's better then having your character sit around forever, right?<br>This will be open for a month at least so please try to think about it!

And in the event that I end up with 3 or more willing OCs, I will consult my 3 co-authors of "Something's Up" and we will choose the  
>characters that we think would make for the best results in the FanFiction.<br>Anyone is allowed to participate, so please comment below if you're interested!

The only rules are that your OC(s) must be human and you must provide a picture of them.  
>You don't have to draw the picture yourself but you must link where you retrieved the picture from. (Yes, doll-makers and dress-up games are allowed.)<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

He rose with a crick in his spine and grogginess urging him to go back to bed, but his awareness of his duties for that day nagged at him greater than his lethargy. He stood and transitioned into a stretch, several of his joints popping in the process. "Harkensen" called Altair, a twinge of irritation in his voice; Paul straightened and faced him "Good morning, Altair. How does the day go?" Paul hid his tired mood well from the older assassin "It has been a rather in perpetuum to yesterday, and every day before then." Altair gave a half-smile, trying to show he was in a good mood "It is always a wonderful thing when mornings do not require much strenuous activity." Paul tries to joke with Altair "Aye, would rather it be a repetitive day than a day where we must go about doing drills the whole morn." the two men chuckle before it gets quiet and a somewhat awkward silence hangs in the air before Altair clears his throat and puts on his usual angry-facade that he does around Gabrielle "Well I'll be off, if you excuse me." he said as he exited the Bureau, leaving Paul with only his thoughts to accompany him now. He sighed and glanced around before resting in the various pillows that lined the floor, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to doze once again.

"I know what you are doing, Harlan." Altair called to the girl who had her back to to him; she stiffened and kept her gaze averted. "why, whatever do you m-" "Save it for Al Mualim, traitor!" Altair spat as he charged towards Gabrielle, only to have her hop to one side before kicking him in the stomach and grabbing his throat firmly with one hand. She glared at the man who had been forced into a kneeling position, glowered up at her with bared teeth. "You know Altair, I was always rather fond of you. It is such a pity that things must end so abruptly for us." she smirked at him before leaning down and kissing him quickly, she leaned back up and looked at him with eyes filled with regret. "You are a traitor, Gabrielle! You will not get away with the crimes you have committed against the brotherhood!" Altair shouted while kicking her legs out from under her, causing her to fall over and be pinned down by the older assassin. She looked up at him wide-eyed for a moment before settling and putting on a straight face "It will not make a difference whether I am alive or not at this point; they already have the information they need. They know everything... so go on, kill me." She said calmly while staring Altair straight in the eyes. "Dammit woman, have you no will to persist? Will you give in so easily!?" he shouted in her face. She furrowed her brow at him "Why should it matter? You said it yourself, I am a traitor. I am lower than filth! What purpose is there if I were to live?"

Altair sighed and looked away from her, his grip on her arms tightening before he stands, dragging her up with him and now holding both her wrists in one hand. She hunches over and looks at him through the hair that has fallen in front of her face, he raises his hand up, but hesitates to bring it down. "You have a purpose. It may only be on that is significant to one other person, but that is a purpose nonetheless." She gave him a questioning look and open her mouth to say something, but was quieted by Altair pressing his own lips to hers, pulling back to look at her just before he knocks her unconscious with a swift strike of his fist. He catches her with both arms and holds her gingerly "...I will not kill you, no matter who orders it." he mumbles before leaping off the rooftop and onto a horse, galloping out of the city and back towards the base where only Al Mualim will be able to decide what to do with Gabrielle the Honest.

* * *

><p>"Nice work, Poppet. Your work today will surely deliver us victory." Malik smirked at a dirt-covered Angelus, abstaining from laughing at her as best he could. "Your praise makes it all worth-while. Remind me to survey the perimeter more carefully next time so that I do not land in the sand and gravel when I run." she chimed in her most polite tone possible, hiding her obvious embarrassment. Jose chuckled and wiped a tear from his eye and Angelus turned to glare at him before smacking his arm "F-forgive me, Ang. It was all so comical. The image of you falling into that dirt pile will haunt my memory for years to come." her cheeks flushed pink and she smacked him once again but harder. Malik snickered a bit but quickly played it off as him just coughing; Angelus sighed and left the room in a huff, muttering to herself about vengeance. Malik and Jose looked at each other and Malik spoke up "So, pray tell how long you have fancied her?" Jose stuttered and flushed "W-what? Me? Fancy? Ludicrous! Her and I have known each other since childhood I view her as nothing more than a sister!" Malik smirks at him "It is quite alright if you do fancy her there is no shame in it; and I would not blame you. She may be stubborn and can easily irritate someone, but her redeeming qualities outweigh every rude comment or careless behavior. In fact, I have found myself seeing her as more of an equal as of late rather than a low-ranked, inattentive assassin without a care in her skull." Malik gets a serious expression once her notices Jose's wide eyes<p>

"Fear not, Moran, I have no intention of stealing her away from you. However if you are going to tell her what your feelings towards her are, I suggest you act quickly. I may only be a quinquennial older than her, but my wisdom is like no other; I see it in her eyes and her smile, you must tell her, Jose, before she tells me." Malik sighs, averting his gaze from the Peruvian boy standing in front of him "Malik I... I had no idea. Look if you want her I can step away.. after all, she deserves a man, not a coward like me." Malik slams his hand on the counter "Moran, I will not tolerate that type of talk. You are worthy of her. Believe me you are. She is simply too naive to realize how much you truly care for her! So please, for the sake of me and my fiancé, tell her how your heart aches for her." Jose pause for a moment before nodding and heading out of the Bureau, taking deep breaths. He looks up to see Angelus standing on the rooftops' edge, now clean and her dampened hair flowing ever so softly in the light breeze that blew throughout Jerusalem. She turned and smiled at him warmly, he reciprocated the smile as her walked up to stand next to her, watching the setting sun.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Jose held up a finger to signal for her not to. "Angelus, I need to tell you something very, very important. But not here and not right this moment. Tomorrow morning, meet me atop the highest eagle tower that is due north from here; do not speak to me at any point before dawn." she gave him a confused look, but nodded firmly in a silent agreement. Jose nodded back and leaped to the next rooftop, continuing on until he was out of sight. "Jose... forgive me." she said with her eyes half-lidded and hopping off the roof, pulling her hood over her head and sticking to alleys until she was out of the city; heading back to the base as she was instructed to do by Al Mualim.

* * *

><p>Two shadowy figures rode quietly in the depths of the night. Both silently headed towards the direction where they heard another rider nearing them but at a faster pace; the two figures split and hid behind stones and trees on opposite sides of the path, waiting mutely as the lone rider's trots to come before them. With each moment that passed the steps got clearer along with the occasional clank of the rider's weaponry. The two figures looked towards and nodded at each other simultaneously as they readied their blades.<br>_thump, thump, thump, thuMP, tHUMP, THUMP_  
>And within a matter of moments, the rider had tumbled off her horse and onto the ground, now covered in dirt and scrapes "What on earth-" she shouted as she turned onto her back to look at her assailants, only to be met with a blade staring down the center of her throat. The two figures said nothing but the one holding the blade now gripped it with two hands, before lifting up and thrusting it down. A loud screech filled the air for a moment before it was cut short.<p>

* * *

><p>It was after noon and Jose walked slowly from one roof to another, heading back to the Bureau expecting Malik to tell him she had left for a mission or something to that extent.<br>But that was not the case.  
>The second he hit the floor, a concerned looking Malik stepped out and stared at him. "Moran, surely you have seen Smaug around the city, correct?" Jose shook his head "I've been atop the highest tower since dawn waiting for her to join me there, but sadly she did not. Is there a reason for your concerned tone of speaking?" Malik looked down and back up with rue filling his eyes "She left at yesterday's evening to report back to Masyaf and should have been there hours ago. I have received word that her steed did return to Masyaf, but the only trace they were able to find of its rider was a single piece of white cloth on a bloodstained saddle; they sent out a party for her and were successful in their finding of her body thought they were unsure if it was her or not, and all I am able to do now is offer you my sympathies as you have confirmed that the theory of her still being in Jerusalem is false." Jose covered his mouth with his hand and looked towards the ground before his shoulders begun to shake and he let out a squeak-like noise. Malik grasped Jose's shoulder firmly for a moment in an attempt to comfort him, staying in a respectful silence.<p>

* * *

><p>~Maysaf~<p>

"Thank you, Altair. You have done well in bringing this renegade to our attention. Though I must ask, why bring her before us instead of simply finishing the job on your own?" Altair sighed "For the reason that the last time I trusted my instincts, it ended with the loss of all my weaponry and my ranking in the brotherhood." Al Mualim looked unimpressed "It is pleasant to see you have learned by your mistakes. The question remains what to do with this stool pigeon... double-crosser. Traitor!" He yelled at Gabrielle, who was being held by two large male assassins. "Do what you will. You will not b-" "SILENCE FINK!" Al Mualim nearly screamed at her. "Altair. Since you are the one who brought this agent provocateur to my attention why don't you help us decide what to do with this 'snake in the grass' of sorts?"Al Mualim questioned and Altair responded without thinking "What do others usually do when a snake is found on their property?"  
>"Why, they behead them." Al Mualim smirked<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

"Stop Jose!" shouted Malik as he reached his hand out to the younger male, but to no avail Jose sprinted away; tears mixed with determination in his eyes. It was only a few moments after Jose had heard the news of Angelus's death, but he did not believe a word of it. _'Angelus can't die... she just can't be gone.. not now!'_ Jose thought as he ran past the shouting guards and out of Jerusalem, without bothering to grab his own horse. He climbed up a steep incline and once at the top, began a quick yet steady tip-toe across a slim piece of land at the top. He kept his chin up and only glanced down when he was unsure of a step; not wanting to look down at the forty foot drop as much as he could.

Once at the edge, he climbed down twenty feet to a ledge and leaped off, landing in a lake with a loud splash and several small fish clearing out as he was submerged, only to pop out a few seconds later; a blank expression on his face as he sighed, looking towards the afternoon sky. He sighed and let the gentle currents in the lake drift him to shore before he rose out of the water and started walking down the dirt pathways that led to each city. He slowed his pace gradually and leaned against a cliff, gritting his teeth before punching the cliff side and letting out a pained wail. Once he quieted, he heard a rumbling coming from the top of the mountain passes he stood between; just as he glanced up to see rocks tumbling towards him at a rapid pace, he head an unfamiliar voice shout something

before Jose blacked out.

* * *

><p>Paul wandered around the city, unsure what to do with himself after hearing the news about Gabriel being brought back to Maysaf by Altair without warning and without explanation. He<br>wandered through various alleyways, hands clutched into fists and an bewildered look played on his features. He sigh and closed his eyes while he kept walking, inky to be smacked into something and knocked onto his back; he opened his eyes to see a red haired girl with brown eyes and a spray of freckles decorating her face sitting directly in front of him, rubbing her head and mumbling to herself. Paul stands and offers his hand to her in a gentlemanly fashion "need some help, milady?" the girl opens her eyes to look at him, before gasping and scrambling to stand; kicking up some dust and sand from the street and seemingly concealing something within her clothing... which was strangely even more tattered and dirty than the clothes of any other villages. "A-A-Anna uhm.. Anna didn't mean to do.. A-Anna so s-sorry!" she stuttered out in a weak, high-pitched voice. Paul hadn't noticed before, but she was rather young and seemed oddly thin. "It is not a problem at all ma'am. If you would not mind my asking, where were you going in such a rush that you did not see me walking in this alley?" he crouched down to be at eye level with the girl.

"W-wait a moment, you not going t'rrest Anna?" she seemed surprised. Paul furrowed his brow, having trouble understanding the girl's speak impairment. "Arrest? Why would I do that? You have done nothing illegal to my knowledge and you do not seem to be of any threat to the city's well being. Besides, I do not have the authority to warren the arrest of anyone." he smiled gently "b-but you're of bad people... th'ones in white who hurt Anna." she articulated just above a whisper. Paul looked at the girl in sympathy "I am not with the Templar, fair maiden. I am a rogue fighter helping people like you be protected from the Templar and their constant abuse of power." he held out his hand to the girl "I am Paul and I will protect you, if you will only do me to honor of following me" the young girl gave him a skeptical look and toke a wary step back "no no.. you only want hurt Anna. But Anna know better. Anna may be outcast but she smart. Anna have sword and will kill men who try hurt Anna ever again!" she yelled at him before pushing out and busted-up, rusting short sword from an unknown place in her robes. Paul pushed the blade aside with the back of his fingers.

"I am assuming your name is Anna, correct?" the young girl sneers at Paul, but nods. "Anna, I swear on my life and oath as an assassin that I want nothing more than to help you. I have no intention of hurting or killing you." Paul looked at Anna sincerely "How I know you not going to deceive Anna?" Anna glared at Paul; he toke the end of her blade and placed it by his throat "If for whatever reason you feel as if I am betraying you, I will allow you to cut me down. Right then and right there; no questions asked." Anna's eyes grew wide and she put her sword away, pulling out a small loaf of bread from the back of her robes and splitting it in half, before handing Paul the smaller half "Anna is trusting man. Man betray Anna and he is dead. This significant to our union." Paul shakes his head at her before picking her up and climbing onto a rooftop "You keep your bread. You looked famished." he smiled at the happy looked in her eyes as she ravenously began to eat the bread while Paul carried her from rooftop to rooftop, on his way to the bureau

* * *

><p>She looked at her palms as her jaw tightened; she refused to look up at Altair. "Gabrielle, Al Mualim has agreed to let you off with a banishment if you will just stop withholding the secrets you know of the enemy. You life, your friends, and freedom will all be yours once again if you would just cooperate." Altair tried to reason with her, but she would not budge. "What purpose is there to life if I am never to see my family again? Where would I go? What would I do for pay? I have no one to love me neither any relatives that I am aware of who I may stay with. There is no purpose to my existence; you said it yourself that I should be killed." Gabrielle spoke in monotone without moving from her seat position in her cell, her eyes had a sorrowful look in them as she stared at the cell walls. Altair rubbed his temples and huffed, trying to keep his thoughts collected.<p>

"You do have a point... but you could not be more wrong about this. As I can plainly tell, you have no resolve." he began to walk towards the stairs that led to above ground, his footsteps echoing lightly before he stopped for a moment "Know this Gabrielle; I always saw you as an inspiration. Even before I had been demoted to a novice.." he glanced at her before turning his back to her sharply and marching upstairs, unaware of the tears that formed in her eyes concurrently building up in her ducts as with each step that he toke away from her until they were silenced; only then did she allow the tears to fall.

Altair looked towards two assassin's who awaited him outside the stairwell that led to dungeon, Altair shook his head and one of the two other assassin's looked to another assassin standing on a nearby balcony and showed them a thumbs-down. The assassin on the balcony walked away and disappeared into the shadows after a moment as Altair left the two assassin's to themselves, mournful regret hanging in Altair's eyes as he walked away.

* * *

><p>"Hey mister! Wake up!" came a boy's voice that awoke Jose from a murky haze, his vision slowly getting clearer by the second. "You almost got killed back there. Gotta be careful in those mountain passes; they'll drop rocks on ya in the blink of an eye!" Jose groaned as he attempted to sit up, only to be met with a dull pain that forced him to lie down once again. "Careful there mister, I saved you from bein' dead but a couple of them rocks did nick ya here and there." Jose looked up to see a boy who appeared to be few years younger than him, with dark brown hair and the eyes to match; his skin was ghostly white without a flaw to be noted on it. "Name's Sabastian and I'll be yer caretaker until yer leg patches up." he gestured towards Jose's left leg, which was wrapped tightly in clothes that were being used as makeshift bandages.<p>

Jose smiled gratefully at the boy "Thank you Sabastian.. Oh, where are my manners- my name is.. it is.. huh?" Jose helled his head in his palm and he cursed under his breath "..I can't seem to remember... where are we again?"


End file.
